


the poor guy's head is spinning

by Rehearsal_Dweller



Series: did they bust up your brains or something? [2]
Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, Character Study, F/M, M/M, Post-Strike, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23130700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rehearsal_Dweller/pseuds/Rehearsal_Dweller
Summary: Of course Katherine would choose Jack over David; he's compelling, captivating, confident -Jack can get David to do anything with just a look and his name – his nickname, because the only time David’s ever heard Jack Kelly call him “David” was late last night when he apologized for what happened at the rally.Maybe, David thinks, feeling slightly sick, it isn'tJackhe's jealous of.
Relationships: David Jacobs & Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber
Series: did they bust up your brains or something? [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1673425
Comments: 25
Kudos: 115





	the poor guy's head is spinning

**Author's Note:**

> Let me just say, Newsies reawoke the part of me that wrote like 50 fics about unrequited percico back in the day so just. Mentally prepare for that. It's not as sad as what I used to write lol. We've got some (probably?/mostly) unrequited Davey/Jack goin on in here. Also I'd like to apologise to Katherine Plumber because I love her but her presence in this fic is not everything I wanted it to be but this is, at its core, a fic about Davey so it just kinda happened this way.

David hears Les’s shout and turns just in time to see Jack pull Katherine in for an enthusiastic kiss. And oh, he knew it was going this way but he’s not prepared – he’s not prepared.

He breaks the moment, accidentally on purpose, because there are papers to sell and a day to be seized. And maybe, maybe, because he can’t stand to watch _that_ happening between his two friends any longer. Because Katherine _is_ a friend now, and Jack is his best friend, and he doesn’t – he can’t –

He briefly entertains, as he walks with Jack and Les to their spot for the day, that he’s afraid of being left behind. Afraid Jack made his choice because of his new sweetheart and not because of David or Crutchie or anyone else he cared about, and that he’d disappear into this just as surely as if he’d really left and take Katherine with him too. But no, no, that’s not it – because David knows Jack better than he knows just about anybody, and he knows that’s just not in Jack’s nature.

So they settle into selling, and David wonders if the weight he felt settle in his chest when Jack and Katherine kissed was jealousy. That makes sense, right? They met a beautiful girl, one who’s smart and kind and sarcastic enough to match wits with the both of them, and she chose Jack. Not that David blames her for that, because Jack is captivating and complicated and David is David.

Jack can get David to do anything with just a look and his name – his _nickname_ , because the only time David’s ever heard Jack Kelly call him “David” was late last night when he apologized for what happened at the rally. Jack is –

Jack is –

He thinks about how shaky he felt calling Jack over from his moment with Katherine, of the bright warmth that flared in his chest when Jack grinned at him, that conspiratorial grin that usually spelled trouble but that David would follow to the end of the world. Maybe, David thinks as he watches Jack ruffle Les’s hair while the younger boy laughs, it isn’t _Jack_ he’s jealous of.

And isn’t that its own crushing realization?

Jack bumps his shoulder against David’s. “You good, Davey?”

“I – what?” David replies, startled.

“You ain’t lookin’ so hot, Dave,” says Jack. He’s studying David’s face with a look of concern. “You was all glazed over and then you got pale. Feelin’ alright?”

David rolls his shoulders back, trying to shake his head clear. “I’m fine, Jack.”

“Forgive me, buddy, but you don’t look fine.” Jack tugs his sleeve to lead him somewhere they can sit and forces him down by the shoulders. He throws a glance over his shoulder toward where Les is still a little way down the street conning passersby into thinking he’s a poor, sick orphan. He lowers his voice, turning back to meet David’s eye. “When’d you eat last?”

“Last night,” David answers. There’s a wave of anxiety welling up in his throat. Jack can’t fuss over him, because if Jack fusses long enough he’ll ask the right question and when Jack asks the right questions David _can’t_ not answer.

And this is a question, David is rapidly realizing, that he can’t answer. He turns his head so he doesn’t have to look at Jack’s worried face.

“You lyin’a me, Jacobs?” Jack presses, catching David’s chin with his thumb and pulling it back toward him. “Ain’t no shame in admitting you’re hungry, and I can’t have you passin’ out on the street. Not in fron’a Les.”

David shakes his head, pushing back away from Jack. “I’m _fine_ , Jackie. Just got a little, uh, dizzy for a second.”

“That ain’t fine, Dave,” Jack says. He knocks the side of David’s head playfully, but more gently than he’s ever done it before. “You don’t gotta lie if you’s not feelin’ good, you know.”

“I – I know, Jack,” David replies, because what the hell else is he supposed to say to that?

Jack’s still studying him. “You sure you’re feelin’ alright?”

“Just stressed, I think,” David says. He pulls his hat off and fans himself with it for a moment. “Leftover from the strike, you know?”

“F’you say so,” says Jack. He takes David’s hat out of his hand, prying his fingers off of it, and tucks it into his own pocket. He ruffles David’s hair, then smooths it back down to its usual state. “I think Les’s almost out of papes, let’s go for lunch.”

He doesn’t give David time to protest before calling Les over and getting him excited about sandwiches. He pulls David back to his feet, sticking a little closer as they walk than usual.

David is a little surprised that Jack _can_ walk any closer than usual, since they had a tendency to bump shoulders as they moved through the city, but now they’re in step, not bumping against each other but always touching. Jack’s arm isn’t slung around David’s shoulders like he sometimes does; instead his hand hovers just behind the small of David’s back, not quite touching but _there_ as if he’s ready to catch him at the slightest stumble.

Jack settles in across the table from David, chatting happily with Les but always watching David. It seems like he’s waiting for something, although what that something is is a mystery. He doesn’t let on to Les that he thinks anything is wrong, which David considers a saving grace. Les would worry, and he would tell Mama and Papa and Sarah about it, and David wants to explain himself to as few people as possible. He doesn’t know what he’ll say if his family asks him what’s wrong, anyway. Jack watches him carefully as he eats his sandwich, and even tries to push some of his own across to David as well, although he refuses it. Lord, if the boys think David’s a mother hen, they’ve never seen Jack Kelly concerned. 

“Jack,” he says, and _would you calm down, I’m fine_ is left unsaid.

“Davey.” _I’m worried about you_.

David bites down hard on the inside of his lip to keep himself from replying. Les looks up at him and tips his head to one side.

“You’re doin’ that thing,” Les says. He shoves David’s shoulder playfully. “Where you talk to each other without usin’ any words. That ain’t fair, I oughta get to be part of the conversation.”

David takes a breath – in, out, in, out – and tears his gaze away from Jack to ruffle up Les’s hair. “Don’t know what you’re talking about, bud.”

And the conversation falls into their normal patterns after that, although Jack keeps shooting David these _looks_ like he still knows something feels wrong.

David wishes there were a way to say _stop that, your concern is making it worse_ without explaining what was going on. Because yeah, it’s all well and good to have a heart crushing realization about how you feel about your (very male, very taken) best friend, but then to have that best friend prodding at the open wound because he can see you’re hurting and wants to help? Yeah, this might kill him.

It’s pretty late when they part ways with Jack for the day. It always is. Jack walks the Jacobs brothers home, and lingers outside with David even after Les has already run upstairs.

“Go on, Dave,” Jack says, though he makes no move to leave. “You look like you could use a good night’s sleep. ‘Specially since I ruined last night’s.”

“I’m not gonna lie, Jackie,” David says before he can stop himself, “I’m a little afraid if I walk away from you you’re going to disappear. Off to Santa Fe or off with Katherine Plumber – or both. And I’ll never see you again.”

“That ain’t gonna happen,” says Jack. He puts a hand on David’s shoulder and squeezes it gently. “I got plenty to keep me here, and you’s a big part’a that. You ain’t gettin’ rid’a me that easy.”

“If you say so,” says David.

“Well, I say so.”

David smiles, breaking Jack’s gaze and letting his head fall forward a little. Jack squeezes his shoulder again before letting his hand drop back by his side.

“Was that – that wasn’t what you was worryin’ about, was it?” Jack asks, his voice low and gentle.

David rolls his shoulders and looks back up at Jack, a slightly forced smile fixed on his face. “Part of it. Don’t worry about it, Jack. I’m an overthinker. I’m just overthinking.”

“Don’t I know it,” Jack says, smiling. “Try to get’cher head on straight tonight, okay? Can’t have you fallin’ to pieces while we’re workin’. Strike’s over, right? We won. You can calm down.”

“I don’t know,” says David, “you barely gave me a moment to process anything during the strike. Maybe now’s when I fall to pieces, you know? I go from some regular kid – some _new_ kid – to union leader, ‘the voice behind the face of our generation’,” he sketches quotation marks in the air around Katherine’s description of him with a strained laugh, “alone at the rally trying to manage every newsie in New York, and whatever last night was and –“ He sucks in a sharp breath. “Aw, man, that is all going to come crashing down on me tonight.”

Jack looks startled. “You –“

“Relax, Jackie,” David says, holding his hands up. “I’m kidding.” He pulls away, toward the door. “ _Mostly_.”

“Dave –“

“Good night, Jack. See you in the morning.”

“Davey!”

“Good _night_ , Jack!”

\--

David did, in fact, have a slight breakdown last night. He’d tried not to wake Les, at which he’d been largely successful. Still, he hasn’t had much sleep himself.

“Jack! Davey!”

The grin that comes to David’s face at the sound of Katherine’s voice isn’t fake or forced, despite the heavy weight that settles back into his chest. David _loves_ Katherine; she’s the first person outside of their circle of newsies who’d taken the whole strike situation seriously, and she doesn’t hold his initial defensive attitude against him. And honestly, if he’s going to be in love with Jack Kelly, there are worse things in the world to have happened than Jack Kelly being in love with Katherine Plumber. At least if some sweetheart of Jack’s is going to be in his life for the foreseeable future it’s a dear friend of his.

“Hey, Kathy,” David says easily, catching her in an easy one-armed hug for a moment. She steps back almost immediately, because no matter how openly tactile the newsies were, it still isn’t quite appropriate to go hugging other guys’ sweethearts on the street.

“Ooh, Dave,” Katherine says when she gets a close look at his face, “did you sleep last night?”

“Of course I did,” David lies. Jack shoots him a look and David knows he caught the slight hesitation before he spoke. David bumps his shoulder. “Promise, Jackie.”

“Yeah, whatever you say,” says Jack.

Katherine looks from one to the other, because Katherine might not know what they’d discussed yesterday but she’s so smart and Jack is so not subtle that it’s not any kind of surprise that she’s noticed something’s wrong. “Am I missing something here?”

“Hey, Les, why don’cha go get a head start,” Jack says instead of answering, while David shakes his head at Katherine. “We’ll catch you up once we’re done talking to Kath.”

“Al _right_!” Les says and scurries away before David can catch him.

“Jack –“

“You gonna fall to pieces on me again today, Davey?” Jack gives him a gentle shove.

“I didn’t fall to pieces yesterday,” David insists.

“What happened yesterday?” asks Katherine. She’s still looking back and forth between Jack and David. “Davey, are you okay? You really don’t look –“

“Would you two both stop asking me that!” snaps David. As soon as he says it he regrets it, because Katherine has no idea what’s going on and was only trying to express concern. He takes a deep, steadying breath and puts a hand on Katherine’s shoulder. “Sorry, Katherine. I – sorry.”

“He almost passed out on the street yesterday,” Jack tells Katherine, over David’s spluttered protests. “Says he’s _stressed_. Promised he’d get a good night’s sleep –“

“I told you –“

“You’re a shit liar, Jacobs.”

“Jackie, I’m –“

“You’re gonna scare the life out of your baby brother, is what you’re gonna do,” Jack cuts in. “I don’t wan’im seein’ you hurt, you hear?”

“I can leave,” Katherine says, “if you guys need a minute to –“

“No!” Jack and David say in unison. David doesn’t know why Jack’s so desperate to have her here, maybe just so that when he’s finished telling David off he can steal a kiss before they start working. David himself wants (needs) a witness to force him to keep his head on straight.

Katherine puts her hands up in front of her. “Alright, alright.”

“You’re not my mother, Jack,” David says, frowning. “You don’t have to do – whatever this is.”

“Worry about my best friend?” replies Jack, his arms crossed over his chest. “Oh, yeah, I’m just gonna let you come apart at the seams now we’s finally safe. Sounds _just_ like me.”

David takes another heavy breath, looking at his friends and taking in Jack’s defensive posture and Katherine’s soft concern. “Look, _look_ , Jack, I’m alright. I – everything hit me yesterday, all the stuff I’d been putting aside to be – to be what I needed to be for the boys, and for you.” He takes his hat off and sweeps a hand through his hair. “But the only way I’m gonna get back to normal is by getting back to normal, you hear me?”

Jack is still frowning at him, still looks like he wants a fight. David doesn’t know who or what he wants to fight, because lord knows it isn’t actually David. “Whatever you say, Davey.”

“Jack.”

“I should be getting to work,” Katherine says quietly. “You boys probably should, too.”

“We should, thank you, Katherine,” says David. “Maybe we’ll catch you for lunch?” He reaches for her hand for a moment and gives it a quick squeeze.

“That sounds lovely,” Katherine replies. She’s still got a faint frown on her face but she squeezes David’s hand back before letting it go. “Around noon?”

“Perfect,” David says. “Jack?”

“Yeah, whatever,” says Jack. “Sounds fine.”

“Then kiss your sweetheart goodbye and let’s get going,” says David, swallowing back the knot of tension that comes up in his throat as he says it. If he’s going to get back to normal – this new, Katherine seeing Jack while David is aware he’s also completely gone over Jack normal – he’d better start acting like nothing’s the matter quick. Because nothing _is_ the matter.

Nothing solvable, anyway, and Jack Kelly does like his solvable problems.

“Davey!” Katherine says, playfully scandalized.

David forces himself to grin back at her. He adopted a slightly thicker accent and pitched his voice down in an imitation of Jack. “Papes ain’t gonna sell themselves, and if I let him he’d moon over you all day.”

Katherine and Jack both laugh, and some of the tension from before dissipates. Jack smiles at her. “You heard the man, Kath. Gotta kiss my sweetheart before we head on our way.”

“Right, of course, wouldn’t want to upset the natural order of things,” Katherine says, because she’s amazing and willing to play along.

Jack pulls Katherine in with an arm around her waist and David looks away and tries to breathe through the tight feeling that was starting to be so familiar.

They go their separate ways with one last assurance that they’ll meet later for lunch. The boys go looking for Les, who’s already found his way to one of their usual spots.

As they walk, Jack bumps his shoulder against David’s. “Davey –“

“Jack,” David replies, and he means _I’m alright, I’ll be alright as long as you’re with me. That’s enough._

He doesn’t know what Jack hears in it – usually everything David’s thinking, because the whole reason David’s so caught up on him is that they’re so stupidly in sync without ever really needing to try – but whatever it is, it’s enough. Jack just nods and throws an arm around David’s shoulders and they march into a new day.

And that’s enough.

(It’s got to be enough.)


End file.
